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Why It Matters

Our Mission

Scenic Rivers Land Trust conserves the special forests, farms, wetlands and natural areas that sustain Anne Arundel County.

Our Vision

We envision a landscape that supports and sustains thriving communities of wildlife and people.

Our Values

Integrity. We ethically pursue our mission and uphold our easements to keep our promise to the public and retain their trust.

Care. We care for our lands and communities by conserving and stewarding our most precious natural resources.

Connection. We use land conservation to connect wildlife habitats and connect people to the landscape and the joy of nature.

Equity. We engage under-resourced communities to participate and belong in conservation.

Strategic. We strategically and thoughtfully use our resources to achieve the highest conservation impact.

Collaboration. We collaborate with our partners to accomplish goals that benefit our lands, waters, and communities.

Our Goals

Scenic Rivers' work is guided by our 2024-2027 Strategic Plan.

We are always working to protect more land faster with a focus on the properties identified on our "Top 100 Properties to Conserve" prioritization list. We work toward this goal by:

  • Identifying, monitoring and protecting priority natural areas in eight watersheds: Herring Bay, Bodkin Creek, and the Severn, South, Patuxent, Patapsco (within Anne Arundel County), Rhode, and West River watersheds;
  • Educating landowners, community leaders, and public officials about voluntary techniques for protecting and conserving land;
  • Accepting and managing conservation easements for the permanent protection of land; and
  • Assisting in the protective stewardship of our natural resources.

 

Our Governance

Scenic Rivers is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that is representative of our focus watershed areas. The Board of Directors meets every other month in Annapolis. Scenic Rivers employs key staff and relies on volunteer support from a variety of experts in the land trust and management fields.

We work cooperatively with the Maryland Environmental Trust as an authorized partner. As a partner organization, MET provides incredible expertise and mentoring, and their presence as a co-holder on larger easements offers landowners additional state tax credits.

As a nationally accredited land trust, Scenic Rivers is also in compliance with the Standards and Practices of the national Land Trust Alliance.

We are supported by donations from individuals and corporations and grants from public and private foundations.